Learning to Fly

Those of you know me, might know that I was a ballet dancer for 16 years, and was in a modern dance company for a year.  Since then the closest I've been to a dance class is Zumba for Xbox Kinect.

It's been a dream of mine for 15 years to learn the art of Aerial dance.  The first time I saw an aerial routine was in a performance of Cirque du Soliel.  I was mesmerized.  The flow of the silks, the execution of the moves, everything was perfection, and it spoke to the dancer in me.

I'm finally living my dream.  I took my first aerial class last night, and let me tell, it is nothing to scoff at.  On some level I knew that it would be a lot of work, and there would be intense training involved.  However, I think a part of me assumed that since I was a dancer, it wouldn't be as difficult.  Wrong!

One thing my first lesson taught me was how seriously out of shape I am.  o.O  I do realize that I'm using a completely different set of muscles than I am accustomed to using, but geez!  I'm sore from the waist up.

I'm aware that it will get easier eventually, but in the mean time I have the circuit training exercises to do every other day to build my upper body strength.

Wish me luck, kids.  It's going to be one hellaciously fun ride!

Some observations

I made a pact with myself that I would blog once a day during this whole I'm-going-to-revamp-my-life-for-the-thousandth-time...thing.  When you are going through a lifestyle change, journaling is supposed to help you stick with it.  I don't one top to blog at length about, so I thought I would blog about some observations I've made in the last couple of days.

1.)  Coconut milk and chia seeds make for a morning smoothie powerhouse!  This morning for breakfast, I had a fruit smoothie with coconut milk, pineapple, raspberries and wild blueberries.  I tossed in two teaspoons of chia seeds into the blender, and voila!  Tasty, filling breakfast.  It kept me going right up until lunch time.  In the past, smoothies haven't quite got me through to lunch, but this one certainly did.  I'm a little sad that The Plan says Greek yogurt can be highly reactive, but with the discovery of coconut milk, I think I'll be fine.

2.)  Ritz whole wheat crackers are the devil. I desperately wanted something to go with my turkey at lunch today, so I grabbed a handful of Ritz whole wheat crackers from the break room at work.  Such a bad plan!  I had turkey on its own yesterday and had no reaction. Today, I had five Ritz cracker with it and BAM!--heartburn.

3.)  Fast food pizza sucks.  Since I'm broke (But hey!  At least I'm paying off my debts!), I've been scraping together meals of frozen leftovers.  Last night was leftover pizza from a fast food chain.  Bleh.  It just wasn't good.  Not to mention the digestive issues it caused.  I'll be sticking with Andolini's and staying away from the other crap.

4.)  The Lyn-Genet crew is amazing!  They answer your questions in a timely and encouraging manner.  I know this because I asked via their Facebook page about hydration and why I am always thirsty.  My  question was answered in less than five minutes.  They suggested a humidifier.  I have my baby humidifier but they suggested getting a larger one for my room.  I'll be testing that theory, because I just feel so dry!  

Girl Talk...

***DISCLAIMER***  If you're a guy who's squeamy about anything that has to do with a woman's period, you probably want to turn back now.  This post is all about "girl time."

One of the biggest factors in deciding to try The Plan was the testimonials from women who had issues with their reproductive system.  Be it Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), infertility or Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD).

My thinking was if The Plan could help women with more serious conditions like PCOS, it might be able to help me with my problems.

After reading the small section on hypothyroidism in The Plan, I did some independent research.  Turns out women with hypothyroidism are like to irregular periods that can be frequent with a heavier that normal flow.

My period has never been an easy breezy 3-5 days like most woman.  (Lucky bitches!)  Instead, mine were more like 7-9 days with a heavy flow and painful cramps.  Unfortunately, the older I got, the worse it got.  My junior year of college found me bed ridden the first day of my period because walking hurt and movement of any kind made me nauseous.  The cramps were crippling and nothing made them better.  In the mornings, I would have to crawl to the dorm bathroom and dry heave into the toilet.  One day, I was looking at the selection of candy at the campus convenience store, and my vision bleached out.  I had to reach for the nearest stable surface to keep myself upright until my vision returned.  Yeah, it was that bad.

In my search for relief, everyone had the same answer:  Birth control!  If I had to be on birth control, by God I wanted to be on the one that limited your period to four times a year.  Sadly, that was not to be.  Apparently, I'm so small that the strength of that particular type of birth control could kill me.  So, I was placed on a low-dose pill.  It helped with the cramps and discomfort, but my periods were still 7 days or more.    

It wasn't until I graduated college and had a job with decent insurance that I discovered I am prone to ovarian cysts which were most likely the cause of my discomfort.  That was a horrifying experience that involved a ruptured cyst and more invasive BS than I ever wanted to experience.

A few years went by without any more cystic issues; it seems they were just lying in wait, however, as I ended up in the ER with appendicitis...we thought.  But oh, no!  It was those pesky ovarian cysts!  13 of them.  I was ordered to go back on the pill, because it would help with the cysts...while possibly causing a multitude of other health issues.  So, I took it for a while, decided it was a $10/month expense I could do without and stopped.  It still wasn't helping with the length of my cycle, so I really wasn't impressed.

After all this, you can imagine that I was more than willing to jump on any opportunity to "fix" my batshit crazy reproductive system without chemical assistance.  So, I got the thyroid supplements, cut out diet sodas (which can adversely affect your hormones), and was actually surprised my period.

I can usually tell when my cycle is coming, because I'm a wretched beast for about a week.  I'm a hormonal mess who could cry at you or bite your head off at any time.  Or perhaps both.  Within the same five minute conversation.  This time, however, I wasn't in a wretched mood!  I haven't had cramps or heartburn or any bizarre cravings.  It's been as normal as my period has ever been.  I'm hoping this becomes a growing trend and that the other irregularities in my cycle will fade away.  I'm crossing my fingers...        

http://thyroid.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=thyroid&cdn=health&tm=41&f=10&tt=2&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.thyroid-info.com/articles/menstruation.htm
http://www.uptodate.com/contents/hypothyroidism-underactive-thyroid-beyond-the-basics
http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder
http://women.webmd.com/tc/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pcos-topic-overview

A pleasant surprise...

I am aiming for beginning The Plan next Monday, but I've already lost 10 of the 20 pounds I'd packed on.  I haven't even really changed any of my eating habits. I haven't eliminated any of the foods I usually eat; nor have I limited the amount of food I am taking in.  

So far I've done three things: I picked up the supplements to stimulate my thyroid, cut out soda and started drinking more water and BAM!  A week later, I'm 10 pounds lighter and a great deal less miserable.

Going into this, weight loss was not a huge concern for me.  I did want to get rid of the 20 pounds I had gained, but I just assumed getting my thyroid and hormones under control would result in losing that weight.  Eventually.  I had no idea it would happen this fast.  It makes me even more interested to see how my body is going to respond to The Plan.

    

Experimentation is fun!

I think the reason The Plan is so attractive to me is that it's like a science experiment.  Once you've done what Lyn-Genera calls The Cleanse (which really isn't like a cleanse at all, because you're eating food instead of fading on water or juice), you're body is in its "control" state.  From there, you begin your experimentation by adding in more reactive foods gradually, weeding out (or not) the ones that aren't working for you.

I haven't  begun the cleanse yes, but I've purchased some of the foods from the cleanse portion of the plan to see if they are palatable for me. 

One of these foods is coconut milk.  I'm not terribly fond of coconut, but I've found I enjoy the consistency of coconut milk more than I do cow's milk.  That's something I never in a million years thought I would say. 

I'm really looking forward to The Plan, because it allows you to discover new foods and encourages you to eat until you are full.  None of that counting calories and eating like a bird crap.  For a person who genuinely loves food and enjoys eating, that's the best thing you can say!

Kicking the habit...

I'm a Diet Dr. Pepper junkie.  I love the stuff.  However, I'm reading everywhere that says the sweeteners in my favorite diet soda could be making my hormones wonky.  It could also be mutating my DNA and raising my insulin levels just as much as regular Dr. Pepper would.  The artificial sweeteners could also be contributing to the massive migraines I've been experience on a regular basis.

The Plan discourages drinking any soda, because you're pumping chemicals into your body.  So, I've made a conscious effort not to drink my beloved DDP this week.  I've cut soda out of my life before, so I was fully expecting the misery of a pounding headache.  However, I have been pleasantly surprised.  The few headaches I've had have been manageable.

I also feel more clearheaded than I have in a while.  In addition, the desire to crawl into bed and hide from the world in less prevalent.  I've even been in a decent mood the last couple of days.  In fact, yesterday I was laughing and joking and being silly.  I can't remember the last time that happened without some sort of bite or sarcasm behind it.

It's not going to be easy, and I will probably cave a couple of times, but I'm hoping the radical difference in mood and disposition will be enough to motivate me to stick to my guns about this.  Wish me luck.

http://arizonaadvancedmedicine.com/articles/diet_soda.html

Dandelion Tea

As I'm gearing up for The Plan, I'm stocking up and beginning to take the supplements Lyn-Genet recommends to help stimulate the thyroid.

She also recommends a liver cleanse or drinking dandelion tea because they flush the liver of toxins.  I'm not going to take a cleanse pill for any reason.  I'm taking enough supplements to get my thyroid in check.  So, I started looking into dandelion tea instead.

In researching dandelion tea, I'm finding benefits that make me want to give it a shot.  Apparently, women have used it for centuries to stave off cramps.  Why am I just learning about this now?!  Why couldn't someone have told me this decades ago?!

Did you know your liver performs over 500 functions, including hormone control?  I didn't know that!  I also didn't know that the health of your liver has an effect on your allergies.

After my research, I had my first cup of dandelion tea.  I'm not gonna lie.  The smell is kinda awful; but once you get over the initial impact of the smell, there is a subtle, nutty smell.  To me, dandelion tea smells and tasted a bit like roasted peanuts.  I had to force myself to finish the first cup, but I think it's something I can get used to.

I'm willing to try most things that will help me get my hormones and thyroid under control.  If I can do it without poisoning myself with chemicals and pills, so be it.

http://www.healthhomehappy.com/2010/10/natural-remedy-dandelion-root-for-liver-health-and-fat-digestion.htm
http://www.amazing-green-tea.com/dandelion-tea.html
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/dandelion-root-tea.html

The thing about hydration...

The thing about hydration is that I don't really know how much water is enough.  

We've heard from childhood that every person should drink 8 glasses of water a day.  But is that really enough?  Or is it too much?  

I've found several resources that are debunking the classic command of drinking 8 - 8oz servings of water per day.  The May Clinic seems to think it's not enough.  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283

Many of the articles say you should be drinking half of your body weight in ounces.  For example: If you weight 160 pounds, you should be drinking 80oz of water daily.  Okay, but when I follow this rule I end up being thirsty all day.   

Lyn-Genet says add lemon juice to your water, and it will make it easier for your body to absorb the water.  She also says that you should drink all of your water before 7:30pm, so you don't gain excess water weight over night.  More about lemon and water, the alkaline duo here:  http://www.lookgreat-loseweight-savemoney.com/lemon-water.html.  

However, there are other articles that say you need more than 8 - 8oz glasses of water per day and that I should be drinking water right before in order to avoid being dehydrated over night.  

The science nerd in me says, "Now, wait a minute."  I know that over-hydration can be just as bad as dehydration.  When you over-hydrate, the water depletes your body of essential vitamins and minerals.  Learn more about water intoxication here:  http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/blwaterintox.htm. 

So where is the happy medium?  How much friggin' water am I supposed to drink?!  

Good News!

Yesterday's post was about unfriendly foods.  Today is about a surprisingly friendly food:  Pizza.

I'm not a fan of traditional fast food pizza.  I'm a pizza snob.  It's why I usually only eat pizza from Andolini's Pizzeria.  They use high quality ingredients, and they make their mozzarella fresh.  It's drool worthy.  

In any case, the roommate took me to Andolini's for dinner last night, and I am pleased to announce that one of my favorite pizzas - The Athenian (kalamatta olives, feta cheese, olive oil, mozzarella, sausage) seems to be fairly friendly!  *happy dance*  I substitute the sausage with chicken, because I'm not a fan of sausage pizza.  Chicken Athenian in going on my list of "Friendly" foods to try.

The sausage version, on the other hand, is going on the "Unfriendly" list.  I had a piece by accident and blew up like a balloon.  Eh.  You win some, you lose some.  I'm just tickled the chicken version is more friendly.  

Fast Food Nightmare...

I've finished reading The Plan by Lyn-Genet.  In doing so, I've noticed a few things about the foods I'm eating.  I've begun to create an "Unfriendly" list for myself.

A few days ago, I went to my favorite Italian restaurant with my girlfriends.  My meal was delicious, and something I'd never tried before.  It was Chicken Florentino--a cheesy, lemony creation with spinach and penne pasta.  I've suspected for a while now that pasta and I aren't exactly on friendly terms.  On multiple occasions, I have scarfed down a delicious pasta dish only to wake up in the middle of the night with sever intestinal cramps.  If I stick to reasonable portions, it's not a problem, but if I binge...Well, things get ugly.  The Chicken Florentino caused a similar reaction, and sadly, I added it to my "Unfriendly" list.  

***DISCLAIMER***  This is the point where guys may want to turn away, because I'm going to talk about "girl time."

I've always had problems with my period.  It never lasted the 3-5 days everyone tells you it's supposed to.  Oh, no.  Not for me.  On top of having digestion issues and intense cramping, I also got saddled with periods that would last 7-14 days.  That was if I was lucky.  Recently, I had a period that lasted 14 days, but I spotted for a solid 8 weeks after that.

A year and a half ago, I was in the emergency room with abdominal pain so bad every doctor I saw that day was certain it was appendicitis.  When they did my CAT scan, however, they found multiple cysts on each of my ovaries.  Then, it was onto a pelvic exam that confirmed a total of 13 cysts.  Oy.

In The Plan, Lyn-Genet cites examples of women who have trouble with infertility, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and severe PMS.  Each of these women were able to overcome their issues by following The Plan.  

The concept that a food may have a direct impact on certain health issues made stop and think.  If these women were able to sort out their health concerns, it might be beneficial for me to try it.  After all, their problems were with their reproductive system, and so it mine.  

The day after the Chicken Florentino disaster, I went to Taco Bell, because it was close, quick and cheap.  I ordered the Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes (a personal favorite) and one Taco Supreme.  BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE!  I don't eat there all that often to begin with, and I probably won't eat there again.    

I immediately felt discomfort in my digestive track.  I always thought it took up to 8 hours for a meal to fully digest; but if the food is reactive for you you could feel the effects as soon as your digestive juices go to work.  

45 minutes after eating my meal from Taco Bell, I began to have pain in my ovaries.  Coincidence?  I'm leaning toward no.  

I started out the day with a flat belly, but 1.5 hours after eating the meal from hell, I was uncomfortably bloated with a distended belly.  o.O  Trust me when I say I will never do that to myself again.

I haven't started The Plan yet, but it's definitely made me aware of what I'm eating.  

Back on the bandwagon...

In the last few months, I have discovered several things:

1.)  I am most likely thyroid deficient.  You'd never know it because I'm a skinny bitch, but all of the symptoms are there.  I'm planning on getting tested in the next couple of weeks.

2.)  I'm in hibernation mode.  All I want to do is sleep.  I'm exhausted all the time.  Most days, I go to bed at 9pm and wake up at 5am or 6am.  I shouldn't be this tired!!!

3.)  I'm still having crazy mood swings, because last year's resolutions went right out the window.  I've found it is difficult to stay motivated when your fitness buddy loses interest.  It's also difficult to motivated myself to prepare home cooked meals after a full day of job related bullshit.  

4.)  I've discovered "The Plan."  

The Plan is based on inflammation and it's effects on the body.  This inflammation can be caused by many things from too much exercise down to the foods you eat.  Inflammation causes chronic health issues such as headaches, arthritis, hormonal imbalance and even infertility.  

Lyn-Genet (www.lyn-genet.com) is the mother of The Plan.  She developed the system because she was a nutritionist with clients who couldn't seem to lose weight even though they were eating the "right" foods and exercising fanatically.  She started studying these foods and the way they reacted with specific clients.  Through this research, she concluded that the reason most people fail at dieting even when they are doing everything "right" is because the foods they are eating are reactive and cause inflammation in the body.  

Not only did she notice a connection between the food and inflammation, but also the food and flare ups of migraines, arthritis, gout and other health issues.  The inflammation caused by reactive foods resulted in some of her clients to gain up to 2 - 3 pounds per day!

I stumbled upon Lyn-Genet and The Plan in a magazine.  There was an article about the editor's experience with the Plan and how it was able to correct the gamut of health issues she was having from weight gain, to lethargy, to acid reflux and mood-swings.  It peaked my interest, mostly because nothing I've tried for the last several months has given me any sort of sustainable energy boost, and my mood-swings are just as insane as ever.  

The article went on to say that the writer was reminded what a joyful experience eating could be and how food had more flavor after being on The Plan.  I'm a girl who loves my food, so I was even more intrigued--intrigued enough that I bought her book for my Android Kindle app.  (It's $11.04 right now on Amazon.)  

The best part of the plan?  You don't have to stop eating the foods you love.  You start with a basic meal plan with some of the foods Lyn-Genet has found to be the least reactive.  From there, you begin to experiment, working up to eating at your favorite restaurants.  If you find a food that makes you gain 3 pounds over night, maybe you shouldn't eat that food.  The Plan doesn't work in absolutes.  

We all know what it feels like to eat something that makes you miserable.  Gas, bloating and other colorful digestive problems are no fun to deal with.  You eat it, deal with the aftermath and decide there's no way you're going to do that to yourself again.  However, did you ever consider that the intense migraine you get after eating a juicy cheeseburger with mustard might mean that you should steer clear of the tangy yellow substance?  Probably not.  I mean, it's just mustard, right?  Certainly there's no harm in the world's most common condiment.  According to Lyn-Genet, mustard is a condiment you might want to stay away from.

It's actually Lyn-Genet's book that made me realize for the first time that I might have hypothyroid disorder.  She gives you a simple way to test your thyroid without having to have a needle stuck in your arm along with a list of symptoms for hypothyroid disorder.  Reading the list, I had to shake my head.  It wasn't just a few symptoms on the list.  It was every symptom on the list.  My lack of energy, my constantly below average body temperature combined with being cold, seasonal depression, hormone imbalance and my sudden weight gain of almost 20 pounds; it all points to hypothyroid disorder.  In The Plan, Lyn-Genet gives you tips to help you manage your thyroid.  

After reading the testimonials and monitoring my body's reactions to the food I'm eating, I think I am going to try this.  I really have nothing to lose.  And I have the potential of taking control of my body and my health.  After everything I've read, I'd have to be stupid not to at least try this.